HOW TO STAY WARM AND STYLISH IN WINTER

1/7/16

It's freezing outside and she's wearing a skirt? Typical blogger.See what I did there? I haven't actually heard that remark about myself but I have read it many times. I know, I know, some bloggers DO make weird things like wearing no tights or appearing coat-less in the coldest of winter. I, however, do not like to be cold. When I was much younger, I would take my hat off and unbutton my jacket as soon as I left my mother's sight. But I am grown up now and whereas I do have my rebellious bouts, getting cold on purpose is not one of them.

I have spent many a freezing winter figuring out how to stay warm and look nice at the same time and I want to share my hard-earned knowledge and obviously enormous experience with you. So if you are either one of those wise people who decide to just stick to your michelin guy looks come winter even though you are so so stylish during warmer seasons, OR if you are a brave person who gets constantly cold in the name of fashion, this small list of tips might be of help to you.

How to stay warm and stylish in winterBefore I get to the proper tips, here's my number one rule of dressing for any weather:match what you wear to your conditions. In winter, you can safely wear less bulky clothes if you are outside just for short periods of time, like just going shopping or hopping between your home and a car and your workplace. On the other hand, if you are a commuter like me and you know sometimes you will have to wait for the bus for who knows how long, layer up. Same goes for situations when you go out during the day and plan to come back in the night: it's going to get colder than when you first went out so, again, layer up. Now, on to the actual clothing tips.

1. Layer properly.

I'm sure you know how to wear your sweater over your shirt and your coat over that. What you need to remember are your most essential pieces: your underwear. Base layer is something I wear religiously in winter. It keeps me warm at all times and is just a thin layer that I can hide under any blouse. It also gives so much warmth that on a day that is not all that cold, I can cut on outer layers --like today.

2. Know your denier.

If you decide to wear a skirt or a dress in winter, keep your legs and butt warm by wearing tights. Actually, wear those suckers under your jeans, too! Denim is the worst when it comes to staying warm. You can easily find tights with fleece on the inside or made of wool. Look for something over 100 den - it's the measure of thickness of your tights so the higher it is, the warmer it gets. If you are looking to wear a pair of colourful tights but the ones you already have aren't particularly high den, remember that you can layer them over a pair of fleece tights. You can also wear over-the-knee socks for extra warmth --and style. And when it gets super cold, you can even wear your base layer pants. Just wear a pair of regular tights over them in case they have those weird ridges and lines that scream "winter cyclist". At least I would do so but then again --if you're feeling brave, let no one stop you.

3. Wear wool.

I've already written about the benefits of wearing wool before, so I'll just say this: nothing will keep you as warm as a woolen garment. And nothing is quite as stylish, at least in my opinion. In this outfit, my skirt and scarf are made of wool and my boots are lined with it. I find my feet are prone to freezing the most so wearing really warm boots pays off. If it were colder than today, I'd have worn a thick woolen coat --this time I was able to get away with an all-artificial one that is pretty much a joke when it comes to giving warmth --this also goes to prove how great my base layer is (and it allowed me to drop the coat for half a minute so that I could show you my cardigan and not freeze right then and there).

4. Secret weapon: gloves.

Remember that you can layer your gloves/mittens: have a pair of really thin ones hidden under those big, knit ones that give you a -50 modifier to agility. When you have a need to actually use your fingers, you can just take the big mittens off and have your hands ready without them freezing off in an instant.5. Choose great accessories.

There is no better way to make an outfit more interesting than by adding awesome accessories and winter is the season to take advantage of that. I know I have several hats and mittens or gloves and at least a thousand scarves in high rotation --just to change things up a bit so it doesn't get boring, like wearing the same scarf always with the same coat. It's so easy and so essential.

And that's basically it. If you have any more tips --do share! I'd be keen to learn some secret tricks that you might have!

Coat and cardigan: Top Secret, oldBlouse: Book of Deer, sold out, same model, different printHat: foundScarf: gift from Bartek's mumTights and gloves: ancientBelt: vintage, gift from my mumBase layer (you can't see it but it's there): BrubeckBoots: Rieker

3 comments

I love this outfit! It's really cute, and then to think that it is also warm - what a hit!!Thank you for the tips! I use layers a lot also, and I wear fleece-lined tights and woollen tights when wearing dresses. I find that wearing thick dresses is also very good when it is cold, but my work place is quite cold too.Usually I just go for the michelin-look though :P hahahaMuch love,Mona